Plymouth City Council looking at plan to cut energy bills across the city

Plymouth councillors are considering a new scheme which will reduce energy costs for residents and businesses.

A local energy co-operative will negotiate lower energy bills on behalf of its members, making it easier and cheaper than the current high tariffs.

Gas and electricity prices are predicted to rise significantly in the future and Plymouth already has over 14,000 households in fuel poverty. This means more than ten per cent of their income is spent on heating their home.

The energy co-operative will focus on collective energy purchasing or ‘switching’ for both local residents as well as businesses.

The new co-operative will share dividends with members as well as reinvesting profits in schemes to tackle fuel poverty and reduce the city’s carbon footprint. Currently around 33 per cent of our city’s carbon emissions are associated with domestic energy use.

Taking this approach allows local residents to come together and have a say in the overall running. It will be open to all residents including those who use pre-paid meter cards, helping address inequalities in energy billing.

As well as negotiating better prices, the administration is committed to cutting our carbon emissions and making Plymouth a carbon-neutral Council.

Other areas that will be considered to contribute to this include installations of solar panels or other renewable energy equipment.

Cabinet Member for Co-operatives and Community Development, Councillor Chris Penberthy said: “Not only will an energy co-operative give our residents more choice when it comes to energy providers it will also give them more control over the money they are spending to heat their homes, cook their meals and have hot water.

“Being able to give back to the community, especially those living in fuel poverty, is something we are passionate about. The Labour administration is fighting the Government on their spending cuts for the good of our people and we will not let them defeat us.”

Councillor Brian Vincent, Cabinet Member for Environment added: “We often talk about reducing carbon footprints and cutting our emissions but by embracing this scheme we are actively bringing this to our own doorstep. Using renewable energy is the future, but why buy it when we can create it. Not only will it help the environment, it will also help our city provide cheaper fuel, create jobs and investment opportunities and it will also help put Plymouth on the renewable energy map.”

More details of the plans and engagement with residents, businesses and partner organisations will begin to be worked up in January 2013. If the scheme is approved by Cabinet it is likely to be launched in July 2013.

"Being able to give back to the community, especially those living in fuel poverty, is something we are passionate about
So you, PCC, allow (and you could have stopped it if you had a mind to) an intrusive massive incinerator to be built in an area (44 metres from homes) that you have already stated has a lower life expectancy than the rest of Plymouth, that is deprived and poverished and on top of that don't even ensure those people who suffer the most from this construction (and don't even take any action against the perpetrators, just slap them on the wrist) have any benefit.
Oh yes MVV say 'potentially' and 'could' supply 30,000+ plus homes with the power and heat from it but the truth is it can't. Same as 'assumptions' and 'predicted' ...all wonderful words but nothing definite. Wonderful PR and PCC fell for it.
This is a disgrace and this latest initiative flies in the face of what is being inflicted on Barne Barton, Weston Mill, St Budeaux, Camels Head, Keyham and Kings Tamerton.
Never mind, MVV will benefit with massive profits and Babcock gets reduction of 20% on their annual energy bill. So I'll bear that in mind whilst I'm shivering in the dark.

Why on earth are we still having street lights left on all the hours of the night! Side roads could have every other light switched off for example. Why have we not developed street lights that switch on automatically when a vehicle or pedestrian approaches, its not rocket science and the council could save an absolute fortune.

What a waste of time. The reason energy prices are going up is because of national government policy. It's because of the solar panels and wind farms as well as smart meters and 'social tariffs' that the government forces the energy companies to pay for.

Here's an idea;
Why not build a 'Municipal' incinerator capable of burning all the municipal waste - that is 'waste' generated by the people of Plymouth?
Just to make the incinerator more efficient - and to sneak it past the strict regulations forcing us to recycle like the rest of Europe already does, let it heat water as it burns waste and, with the steam, generate electricity whilst providing hot water to heat thousands of LOCAL homes.
The cost of this locally generated heat and power would be considerably LESS that that from other suppliers - a fact proven out by the massive savings soon to be enjoyed exclusively by BABCOCK once the MVV 'municipal' incinerator in BArne Barton begins burning 'waste' (yeah, right) from not only Plymouth but all of the region and from commercial and industrial (paying) customers as of yet undisclosed. With a private entrance directly into the dockyard it's pretty easy to guess who one supplier of industrial waste could be.
Why is PCC even in a position where they have to consider cutting city wide energy costs when they themselves (whatever happened to Viv and her spivs?) gave the magic key to an overseas company - to drain the last penny of profit from this city and supply Babcock instead of the community that will be funding the incinerator?
Ah, the true face of profiteering business and incompetent unrepresentative couldn't-care-less local councils!